With the fantasy playoffs starting this week in almost every league, many of you reading this made it in at least one league. Some of you did not. But there is one thing all of you have in common.
The feeling.
You know the one I am talking about.
THAT feeling.
Every fantasy football manager has felt it at some point.
It starts slow, an uneasy feeling that something isn’t right. And then your skin starts to crawl, you feel sick to your stomach and the blood drains from your face as you ask yourself in the cold light of day, “OH NO... WHAT HAVE I DONE?”
It seemed like a good idea at the time. You had reasoning. Researched and thought out reasoning. It seemed smart at the time. It felt good in the moment. Or maybe you didn’t even think about it. It was something minor. What’s the big deal, you thought? This is a whatever move.
And now, later, in the cold light of day, when you see the true ramifications of your move, do you truly and fully comprehend the totality of your massive, horrible, horrific mistake.
And it keeps going. All season long as you see that player — a player that SHOULD be on your team if not for your dumb move — now scoring fantasy points, in fact scoring many, many sweet fantasy points for someone else. Points that should be yours if not for your dumb move.
And the worst part is you have no one to blame but yourself. Look, lots of things can go wrong in fantasy football. Injuries, suspensions, Arthur Smith. A bad bounce on the field, a ticky-tack call that takes away a touchdown, a player that steps out of bounds at the 1-yard line. But these mistakes there is no one to blame... but YOU. The enemy of your team is you, and you alone.
There is not any worse feeling in fantasy football. And I know you have at least one regret. But I have good news for you my friend. Whether your move cost you the playoffs or just made you weaker as you head into the postseason, it’s not the worst. There are others out there who have made much worse moves.
Which means, with my annual apologies to the band Oasis, for the 2023 edition of “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” I asked my followers on Twitter/X and Instagram, along with folks on the (100% free!) FantasyLifeApp what their most regrettable move this year was. And man did they deliver.
They all sent screen shots of the move, which I have verified, but I’m not putting in the screen shots as it just doesn’t look good on the site here, so I’ve just re-written them below (with proper credit, lol).
Hopefully you are in the playoffs and you advance after this week. But even if you don’t, you can at least be thankful you’re not any of these folks. As always, these are actual moves from actual managers.
To start, there were a lot of regrets from draft season, as many mentioned they had the No. 1 pick and drafted Justin Jefferson over Christian McCaffrey. Or Ja’Marr Chase over CMC, as well. Taking Cooper Kupp over Tyreek Hill came up a LOT. And for me personally, I had Dameon Pierce on my Love List and ranked higher than consensus. I also wound up with a lot of Pierce on my teams, so that didn’t work out for me on two different levels.
But here, without further ado, are the Top 25 worst actual moves by actual fantasy football players this year. And we start with the Jay Croucher Memorial Regrettable Move.
25. @JackLucenay explains how, like Jay, no one has tormented him this year quite like Najee Harris. He got upset and waived Harris only to come full circle when he desperately needed a RB 2 later in the season, so he had to go and now trade back for Harris. Only to have him go out and have a dud and let Jack down again.
Speaking of Jay Croucher preseason favorites, he’ll be comforted by knowing he wasn’t alone on this island.
24: In the preseason, @JoshuaAzria traded his 2024 3rd round pick AND Puka Nacua for… wait for it… Michael Thomas.
23. @Thr33FOsh dropped De’Von Achane so he could hang onto… Kendre Miller.
22. @kieranp_mcc paid $22 in FAAB to grab Kenneth Gainwell after Week 1. And to make room, he dropped... D’Andre Swift.
Speaking of Gainwell. He was a popular pickup after Week 1. But at what cost. At what cost????
21. @EWeinerFantasy decided, after Week 1, to put in two bids on players. But chose to put more money on Kenneth Gainwell than his No. 2 choice... Puka Nacua. He got Gainwell. And missed out on Puka by $1.
20. @livin_rc dropped Tank Dell early on for... Quentin Johnston.
I have to say... regret about Tank Dell showed up a lot. Like from Joe Bates.
19. @JoeBatesComedy dropped Tank Dell in the preseason for... Luke Musgrave.
Choosing the wrong trendy rookie was popular this year. For example:
18. @TheFantasySnob in their keeper league’s rookie-only draft, they took Quentin Johnston over De’Von Achane.
There was, understandably, a lot of Achane regret this season.
17. Like @FlightDavis1 who dropped De’Von Achane for... Marvin Mims.
But hey, at least Mims has talent and upside. (Come on Sean Payton. What are we waiting for??). That’s not as bad as this one.
16. @RatliffJosh dropped De’Von Achane for… Zach Ertz.
And that’s not even as bad as THIS one:
15. On my Instagram, Benjamin Parkes Edwards said, in Week 2, he dropped De’Von Achane for… The Giants D. The Giants D would go on to score negative 4 points in Week 2’s shootout with the Cardinals and Benjamin would have been able to keep Achane as a 15th round keeper for the next two seasons.
That still might not be as bad as...
14. @aveezy7 who dropped De’Von Achane for… Cameron Dicker.
The kicker ones are always painful. Like this one:
13. @jonny_bball5 who dropped Kyren Williams to grab… Graham Gano.
Kyren Williams is another one who showed up a lot.
12. @LukeGhiardi was No. 1 on the waiver wire after Week 1. He had a choice of running backs, but instead of Kyren Williams he decided to pick up... Joshua Kelley.
Getting Kelley instead of Kyren Williams is bad, but that’s just one miss. What about this guy?
11. @Scottyy_S also had the Week 1 waiver priority and had his choice of Joshua Kelley, Kyren Williams or Puka Nacua. He had a two in three chance of getting it right. He went Kelley.
Speaking of Puka again…
10. @Dave_ServedUp dropped Puka in the preseason. For… wait for it… Evan Hull.
Oh man. Those trendy preseason running backs will get you every time. This guy tells me this move still keeps him up at night and I totally get that.
9. In his dynasty league, @Stephen0128 dropped Kyren Williams for... trendy for like a week Chiefs RB Deneric Prince.
Other than chasing trendy preseason running backs, another constant every year is the desperate search for a useable tight end, which leads us to a couple of doozies.
8. @AllThingsSU needed a Week 1 replacement for Travis Kelce. So they went out to grab and start Tyler Higbee, dropping from their bench... Sam LaPorta.
At least Higbee has had a few useable weeks. However...
7. @DUBsizzles decided, after Week 1, that he needed “A real NFL Tight End.” (His words). So he dropped Sam LaPorta for… Hayden Hurst.
This next one is a double whammy.
6. Talking big to his teammates and putting his money where his mouth was, @holler_eric wanted to prove that he thought the Browns could beat the Ravens with any QB. So he picked up Dorian Thompson-Robinson to start him for his fantasy team in Week 4. In the process he dropped… Dak Prescott.
Now, I’ve done this column for many, many years now. And in the history of the column we have never had this. A person make the list with multiple moves. I don’t how this person sleeps at night. Can someone who knows Kalind Parish make sure he’s OK???
5. @KalindParish dropped Trevor Lawrence for… Rondale Moore.
4. @KalindParish dropped Zack Moss for… Joshua Kelley.
3. @KalindParish dropped Tank Dell for… Melvin Gordon.
2. @Kalind Parish dropped De’Von Achane for... The Giants D/ST.
He also dropped Zach Charbonnet for Hunter Henry and dropped Christian Watson for Michael Wilson. Man. Patience next year, Kalind! Patience!!
But to me the worst move of the year goes to my old friend and former TMR writer Dan Chichalski.
1. @NJ_baseball decided to get cute and learned the hard way what happens when you try to mess with fantasy karma. In Week 3, his opponent had a questionable Joe Burrow heading into MNF. So, Dan grabbed the best available QB off waivers (Baker Mayfield) to block his opponent. The player he dropped to do so?
C.J. Stroud.
That opponent was then able to grab Stroud. And while the opponent’s team wasn’t great (they had just four wins all season), TWO of those wins came against Dan using, you guessed it, C.J. Stroud.
Dan missed the fantasy playoffs by one game.
That hurts man. It’s like a triple.
So no matter how your season went, at least you’re not these folks.
As always, thanks to the (free!) Utilization Report (and all other tools) at FantasyLife, and of course my producer Damian Dabrowski for his help at various points in this column. A reminder that Fantasy Football Happy Hour airs every day at Noon ET on Peacock and is available on demand on Peacock, the NFL on NBC YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcasts.
And this Sunday morning, as we do every week, we will be LIVE at 11 a.m. ET all the way until kickoff with Fantasy Football Pregame on Peacock and the NFL on NBC YouTube channel. We answer more questions than any other pregame show so use the #FFPregame or just comment on YouTube. See ya there.
Let’s get to it.
Quarterbacks I Love in Week 15
Brock Purdy at Arizona
“I have a great surrounding cast. I’ve got guys around me that are all making plays … and so that’s a testament to the team that I have.” That is Brock Purdy this week supposedly discussing his MVP buzz. But I’m pretty sure he was actually talking about all of the fantasy playoff teams he is on the season thanks to all the teams above who dropped him. HEY! Don’t look back in anger! It’s not just on you. Brock is right: fantasy football is a team game. Although Purdy by himself can do a lot for his fantasy managers this week. The Cardinals allow the second-highest passer rating to quarterbacks this season and are 31st in pressure rate. And don’t forget: back in Week 4 when these teams met, Purdy went 20-of-21 for 283 yards and 21.3 fantasy points. What happened on that one incompletion, Brock?! By the way, Purdy’s 13.5 yards per pass attempt that game is the second-highest by any quarterback in a game this season. The 49ers also have the highest implied team total this week. Lots to love here. That’s why Purdy is my QB 5 this week.
Matthew Stafford vs. Washington
Everyone gets in the giving spirit around the holidays. But what’s impressive about my Washington Commanders is that they’ve been giving all season long. They’re like Oprah if she were a defensive coordinator. “You get a touchdown! And you get a touchdown! And you get a touchdown! And you!” Washington has allowed the most passing touchdowns in the league, including two-plus passing touchdowns allowed in nine of their last 10 games. Also, since Week 10, the Commanders are giving up 24.5 PPG to quarterbacks and the last four QBs to face them have all scored 19-plus fantasy points. The Rams have the second-highest implied team total this week and I have Matthew Stafford almost as high in my rankings. He’s a Top 6 quarterback for me in Week 15.
Jordan Love vs. Tampa Bay
Jordan Love had a rough game against the Giants last week. And, if you think about it, we really should have expected it. If Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have taught us anything, it’s that Packers quarterbacks are a disaster when they try to play in North Jersey. But I’m feeling much better about Love back in Green Bay where he averages 19.1 PPG (compared to 16.6 PPG on the road). Since Week 3, Love ranks fourth in pass attempts per game (35.9), which means he should be able to compile some numbers against a Tampa Bay pass defense that is bottom-five against the pass over the past four weeks. And, since Week 6, the Bucs are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks (20.8). Look for Jordan Love to bounce back this week. He’s all the way inside the Top 8 at the position.
Others receiving votes: Yes, it’s come to this for the Eagles pass defense: they’re struggling so much, I like Geno Smith OR Drew Lock against them. Whoever starts against Philly is a viable streamer this week because, since Week 8, the Eagles are allowing a league-high 297 passing yards per game and opposing QBs are averaging 27.2 PPG against them over that stretch. The Eagles have also allowed two or more passing touchdowns in six straight games. … This time last season, it appeared like Russell Wilson could be on his way out as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Now, he’s arguably having the best season of any quarterback in a division that boasts Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. It turns out that doing high knee raises up and down the aisle of an airplane while everyone is asleep can really turn a career around. Remind me to try that. Meanwhile, Wilson has a good matchup this week against a Lions defense that, over their past four games, is allowing the second-most PPG to quarterbacks (25.0). Over the same stretch, Detroit is allowing touchdown passes at the fourth-highest rate, and since Week 10, the Lions rank 30th in scoring defense — allowing 29.8 points per game. … Unfortunately, Nick Mullens doesn’t have a great nickname like The Passtronaut. Although when it comes to a nickname for Nick, I’m still Mullens it over. (Sorry, not sorry. It’s Week 15. You get the jokes you get.) But what Mullens does have is a good matchup this week against a Bengals team that, since Week 8, is allowing 8.5 yards per pass attempt. Last week, by the way, nearly 40% of Mullens’ pass attempts were 10-plus yards downfield. The Vikings are also expected to get Justin Jefferson back (again) this week — and that’s great news for any quarterback, nickname-less or not.
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Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 15
Tua Tagovailoa vs. New York Jets
Tua Tagovailoa entered Monday night’s game against the Titans with a streak of 21 consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass. That streak is now over. But I think he could very well 0get another streak going this week, because against the Jets, Tua just might run his TD-less streak to two in a row. Back in Week 12, Tagovailoa posted a season-low 7.8 fantasy points against the Jets and that was no aberration. The Jets shut down almost every quarterback. Since Week 7, Josh Allen is the only QB to crack double-digit fantasy points against them, and only once in their last eight games have the Jets allowed multiple touchdown passes in a game. With Tyreek Hill potentially less than 100% as well and Zach Wilson playing reasonably well enough to keep a few drives alive (thus giving the Jets defense some rest), it is enough for me to put Tua outside my Top 15 QBs this week.
Jared Goff vs. Denver
Last week Jared Goff posted a season-low 6.4 fantasy points in Detroit’s loss at Chicago. There’s a depressingly real chance it won’t be his season low after this week. Goff ranks 23rd in passer rating when blitzed while, over the past four weeks, Denver blitzes at the third-highest rate. Considering center Frank Ragnow and LT Taylor Decker are banged up and as of this writing are no sure things to play this week, that is #notideal. Add to that, since Week 5, Denver has allowed one or fewer passing touchdowns in eight of nine games and, over that same stretch, the Broncos are allowing the third-fewest PPG to QBs (12.6). I’d look for better options at quarterback this week if there are any available. Goff is outside my Top 15 at the position.
Running Backs I Love in Week 15
Kyren Williams vs. Washington
There’s been a lot of talk in recent weeks of Kyren Williams being a league winner. It’s time to put that talk into action and let him win you your league. In Williams’ three games since returning from injury, he is averaging 24.7 touches and has a 14.6% target share. He also has 12 touches inside the 10-yard line over that stretch. Meanwhile, over the past four weeks, Washington is allowing a league-high 33.7 PPG to backs. In fact, the Commanders have allowed 100-plus scrimmage yards to backs in five straight games. Yes, if you’re following at home, my Commanders stink against the pass AND the run. Good times. As always. Sigh. Anyways … Williams is literally my No. 2 running back for this week.
Bijan Robinson at Carolina
If you survived early-season Bijan Robinson and made it into the playoffs, congrats on having postseason Bijan Robinson at your disposal. Over the past four games, Robinson is averaging 19.5 touches, has a 73% snap rate and a target share just under 20%. Now he gets a Carolina defense that struggles mightily against RBs. Get this: backs who see 15-plus touches versus Carolina are averaging 20.7 PPG, and 11 of the 12 running backs who have seen 15-plus touches have scored at least one touchdown. Such a good matchup that even Arthur Smith can’t screw it up. (Did I just stupidly challenge Arthur Smith to something? Ummm...) Well, I’m sure Arthur Smith doesn’t read my column. I’m sticking by Robinson as an easy Top 5 back.
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Kansas City
Ezekiel Elliott signed with the Patriots this offseason in part because he felt that playing on a Bill Belichick team gave him a shot at winning. That’s turned out to be right, as Zeke is in line to be part of some fantasy league championships. With Rhamondre Stevenson out last week, Elliott saw 100% of New England’s RB touches and even posted a career-high 30.8% target share. With Stevenson out again this week, Elliott can do some damage against a Chiefs defense that is allowing 5.2 YPC to backs over the past four weeks. Over the same stretch, Kansas City also ranks bottom-five in receiving yards allowed to backs. This is a crazy sentence to write in the year of our lord 2023, but yeah, just like last week I have Elliott on my Love List and inside my Top 10 RBs for Week 14.
Others receiving votes: Even in a disappointing offensive effort by the Dolphins on Monday night, Raheem Mostert still put up good fantasy numbers. Mostert now has 20-plus touches in three of his past four games. This week he faces a Jets team that, over the past four weeks, is allowing the fourth-most PPG to running backs. … Death, taxes, and starting Derrick Henry against the Texans. It’s a tale as old as time. Or at least as old as the last five games he’s played Houston. In that stretch King Henry has 1,018 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in those five games. He’s AVERAGING 33.8 points per game against Houston since 2019 and he should be in for another strong performance on Sunday. … It’s been a rough few weeks for Swifties. The Chiefs have lost three-of-four while melting down over unfortunate – yet obvious – penalties, and the Eagles and D’Andre Swift have been blown out by 20-plus points in their last two games. Yet I see things turning for D’Andre Swift this week against Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed 135-plus rushing yards to running backs in three straight and, since Week 9, Seattle has allowed the most rushing touchdowns to the running back position. … Yes, this week I like Nick Mullens and Ty Chandler off of a game in which their team won 3-0. Maybe I’m crazy. Or, maybe I just have a lot of good usage and matchup stats. It’s probably both. Anyhoo... after Alexander Mattison left with his ankle injury, Chandler played 83% of snaps. That sort of usage bodes well for a matchup against a Bengals team that has allowed a running back rushing score in eight of their past 10 games. … Chicago allows the most receiving yards to running backs. That’s good news this week for Jerome Ford, who has five-plus targets in three of his past four games. Ford also has put up 11-plus fantasy points in six straight games.
Running Backs I Hate in Week 15
Isiah Pacheco and/or Clyde Edwards-Helaire at New England
As of this writing (Wednesday afternoon) I don’t know who is starting at RB for the Chiefs this week, I just know I don’t want any part of him if I can help it. Over the past four weeks, New England is allowing a league-low 11.3 PPG to backs. Over that same stretch, the Patriots are giving up a league-low 42 rushing yards and 2.4 YPC to backs. And during that time, not a single running back has scored more than eight fantasy points against them … and that includes some solid backs in Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Yeah. Rough matchup for Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I mean, unless the Chiefs backs are allowed to line up several yards downfield before every play, I don’t see them gaining many yards against the Patriots this week.
Kenneth Walker vs. Philadelphia
Over his last four games, Kenneth Walker has 40 carries for 118 yards. That’s a paltry 2.9 YPC. More like Kenneth walker! Get it? Because it’s like he’s walking out there? Instead of running? So I made the first letter of his last name lowercase in order to imply … No, YOU shut up. It’s Week 15. Look, since Week 7, Walker has not played more than 58% of Seattle’s snaps in a game. He also has 12 or fewer touches in three of his past four (healthy) games. Then there’s the fact that the Eagles have allowed just two backs this season to run for more than 60-plus yards on them. The Eagles have also allowed just four rushing score to RBs this season (tied for the third fewest). So run, don’t walk, to putting Kenneth Walker on your bench. He’s outside my Top 20 backs this week.
Javonte Williams at Detroit
Javonte Williams has helped fantasy managers get into the playoffs with double-digit fantasy point performances in six of his last seven games. But I think you all will need a lot of help beyond Williams this week to advance in the playoffs. It’s just a bad matchup at a bad time for Williams. Over the past four weeks, Detroit is allowing just 3.3 YPC to backs and no back has run for more than 51 yards against them over that stretch. The Lions also allow the fourth-fewest fantasy PPG to RBs on the season. I have Williams down at RB 21 this week.
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Pass Catchers I Love in Week 15
Cooper Kupp vs. Washington
My little Cooper Kupp runneth over with fantasy points last week, going for 25.5 against a good Ravens defense. So imagine what he can do against a defense that isn’t even NFL quality. Over the past four weeks, Washington is allowing the most yards per game to wide receivers. They’re also allowing the second-most fantasy PPG to wide receivers in that span. And in the last two games, Washington has allowed four touchdowns to the slot alone. I’ll admit, I’ll be conflicted watching Kupp light up my team. But my Commanders have nothing to play for, while Kupp has fantasy playoff glory in his grasp. He’s my WR 6 this week.
DK Metcalf vs. Philadelphia
DK Metcalf got ejected late last week in Seattle’s loss to the 49ers after scuffling with Fred Warner. Philadelphia might want to try to figure out a way to get Metcalf ejected in the first quarter this week or he’s likely to put up some big numbers against them. The Eagles have allowed 16 or more fantasy points to a wide receiver in every game this season. Philly has also allowed multiple touchdown passes to a wide receiver in five of their last six games, while Metcalf ranks Top 3 in end zone targets this season. Eagles, you might want to get big Dom DiSandro to pick a fight with Metcalf this week and hope it escalates into an ejection-worthy fight. Otherwise, I have Metcalf as a Top 10 WR play this week.
Brandon Aiyuk at Arizona
Last week Brandon Aiyuk became the first 49ers receiver with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since Anquan Bolden in 2013 and 2014. Now for an even more impressive accomplishment: appearing in my pass catcher Loves for the first round of the fantasy playoffs. In his first matchup of the season against Arizona, Aiyuk went for 148 yards and caught all six of his targets. The Cardinals allow a league-high catch rate of 61% on deep passes this season, while 40% of Aiyuk’s targets come on deep balls. We don’t have to go too deep into it: Brandon Aiyuk is an easy Top 12 WR in Week 15.
Sam LaPorta vs. Denver
Sam LaPorta had a career-low 4.7 fantasy points last week. And honestly, we should have seen it coming. After all, an anagram of his name is “splat aroma.” And that performance had a distinct aroma of splat, did it not? But I expect a bounce back this week. Why? Because an anagram of Sam LaPorta’s name is also “Alas Mr. Atop,” which clearly means Mr. LaPorta will, alas, return to the top of the TE scoring list. That’s basic fantasy anagram analysis right there. But if you prefer stats instead of moving letters around, fine. The Denver Broncos rank bottom-three in receptions, yards and fantasy points allowed to TEs. Tight ends who have seen six-plus targets versus Denver average 15.3 PPG. With LaPorta getting a 20.9% target share this season – fourth-highest among tight ends – I think it’s very likely that Sam “Alas Mr. Atop” LaPorta (which is his very catchy nickname, I’ve decided) is in line for a return to form this week, especially at home where Jared Goff traditionally plays better. He’s my TE 4.
Others receiving votes: Since Week 10, Detroit has allowed the second-most touchdowns to wide receivers. So not great for the Lions defense this week that they’re facing touchdown machine Courtland Sutton, who has an end zone target in eight straight games. … Tampa Bay has allowed the third-most yards to wide receivers this season, while Jayden Reed has a target share of at least 26% and multiple rushing attempts in two of his last three games. That means, if you have even basic Reed’ing comprehension (it’s WEEK 15 DAMMIT), Jayden Reed deserves Week 15 lineup consideration. … Last week Odell Beckham had 10 targets and 19.7 fantasy points, both highs for him as a Raven. Seven of those 10 targets came on deep passes, and Beckham now has five receptions of 20-plus yards over his last three games. This week Beckham gets a Jacksonville D struggling against the pass. Over the past four weeks, the Jaguars are allowing the second-most yards per game to wide receivers. … The Steelers struggle against the slot almost as much as they struggle with beating 2-10 teams at home. Pittsburgh allows the fifth-most yards per game to the slot. That’s good news for Colts slot receiver Josh Downs. Since Indianapolis’ Week 11 bye, Downs has a 72% snap rate and a 17.6% target share. … In all the coverage of Tommy DeVito’s agent dressing like an extra from The Godfather, don’t forget about The Goed-father. (Ok. Even I’m embarrassed by that one). Dallas Goedert has a great matchup this week. Seattle has allowed 75-plus receiving yards and a touchdown to a tight end in back-to-back weeks. The Seahawks also allow the most YAC to TEs this season, and Goedert ranks top-five in YAC/reception. … There’s no way to predict exactly what will happen week-to-week in fantasy football. You can only take the available information and try to determine what is most likely to happen. And this week, I think Isaiah Likely is likely to happen. (Is this the first time anyone has ever made a play on words with Likely’s name? I thought so. High five me! So clever!) Likely now has back-to-back games with six-plus targets. Oh, and get this: Jacksonville has allowed touchdowns to the slot in three of their past four games. Why is that important? Because of Likely’s 13 targets over the last two weeks, 11 of them have come from the slot.
Pass Catchers I Hate in Week 15
Calvin Ridley vs. Baltimore
Over the past two weeks, Calvin Ridley has caught just 8-of-21 targets. That’s an average of .380. I mean, if this was baseball, that’s barely good enough to get $2 million/year from the Dodgers. Since Week 3, Ridley only has one game with an aDOT below 12 yards. He’s going deep. A lot. And, hey, that’s great … it’s just not great this week. Baltimore has allowed the second-fewest yards on deep passes this season. The Ravens have also allowed just four touchdowns to perimeter receivers this season (fourth-fewest). I have Ridley outside my Top 30 wide receivers this week.
Tee Higgins vs. Minnesota
It’s very likely that this is Tee Higgins’ last season in Cincinnati. It’s also very likely that if you start Tee Higgins this week, this will be the last week of your fantasy season. Higgins hasn’t seen an end zone target since Week 4. Even worse: in his two games with Jake Browning under center, Higgins has just seven total targets and a target share of 11.3%. It’s unlikely any of that improves against a Vikings defense that, over the past four weeks, is allowing the sixth-fewest PPG to wide receivers. Higgins is just WR 37 this week.
Marquise Brown vs. San Francisco
Since Kyler Murray has returned, Marquise Brown is averaging 5.5 PPG and is WR80 over that stretch. Not great! Brown has 30 or fewer receiving yards in three of his four games with Kyler this season. Also not great! Now Brown faces a 49ers defense that is, well … kinda great. The 49ers allow the fifth-fewest yards per reception to wide receivers this season. Brown is barely a top 40 play for me this week.
